Metering panel



Allg- 23, 1932- I H. J. L.. FRANK` Y. 1,872,723

METERING PANEL Filed March 1 3. `1929 3 Sheets-Sheet `1 @Il l Mw |l lISV# Aug- 23, 1932 Y H. L.. VFRANK 1,872,723

IhHEITERINGrV PANEL Filed March 13, 192e s sheets-sneet 2 65 7/ 64 an?5f f J2 /J "70 f @j INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Aug. 23,119232.V H. J. L. FRANKr 1,872,723 lMETERIrm.Pimm V' Filed Maron1,3. 1929` s sheets-smet f s U1/.- 6 INVENTOR. BY jf@ A ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 23,v 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i xrmanrsoira.` I..raam; or paran-n', moment. lassielronro nULLnoo mnc'rnro g rnonucrsconm, or nn'raorr, anoniem, a coaronarron or wnsr melma e rmx. 4 f iApplication illed larok 18, 1929. Serial KoMBJGS?.

The present' invention relates to electrical devices and especially to`metering panels.

-Among the obcts of theV invention is a metering or switc 'ng panelbuilt up of small identical re laceable units in which the live, partsare by unqualified persons, yet a owing the fuses to be accessible foreasy replacement.

`Another object is a panel in which rearrangement ofthe circuits may beaccomplished with a minimum of time and effort and a maximum of safety.

Another object of the invention is a design of a metering panel unitthat may be assembled with like units or switching sections, these unitsbeing designed to be co-ordinated with other similar umts containingswitches and fuses, fuses only,"and main fuses, for the urpose ofcombining any quantity and number of these units in combmation, to meetany desired condition required of a metering and switching panel. y l

Still other objects will readily appear to those skilled in the art u onreference to the following description an the accompanying drawings inwhich Fig. 1 is a plan view of one of the units; Fig. 2 is a partlsectional side elevation on the line 2-2 of ig. 1 Fig. 2a is a view ofthe underside of two of the units showing one method of use; Fig. 3 is apartly sectional longitudinal view 'of a modified form; FiV 4 is apartial cross section showing the us bars and one of the connectinclips; Fig. 5 is a plan showingthe guar s used in the form of device ofFig. 3; and Fig. 6 is an elevation of a metering panel indicating oneuse of the switchin units. l

As indicated eac unit of the panel comprises an insulating block 10,having fuse sockets 11 at each end thereof, and having the lattersomewhat higher than the midportionso that the latter may be covered ifdesired with a suitable sealing means leaving the former accessible, itbeing understood thatthe fuse sockets may be ofany type such ascartridge or plug fuse. This mid portion is provided with two sets ofnarrow and comparatively deep cross grooves 1 5 one set on each side ofthe center line of the block, while across the center is a raisedportion 16 provided with cylindrical cups or depressions 17 having boltholes therein extending through the` block to grooves 18 on theunderside. Y These grooves 18 are'longitudinal of the block and eachextends from beneath a cup 17 to beneath a fuse socket. 11. The blocksare also provided withV suitable holes for the passage of fasteningscrews 2O by means of which they may be secured to a suitable support 21which may be and usually isA the back wall of a metal cabinet. Thegrooves and 18 are each intended for the reception of bus bars as shown.

In the grooves 15 bus bars 30 lie on edge and are of such width thatthey lie below the surface ofthe block and may extend across severalblocks 10 placed in alignment and panels of any desired number of blockssomade up. At the ends .of such a panel or sin le block 10, is placed amember 19 pref-` era 1y a rectangular block of insulating material whoseupper surface is in ali ent with the bottoms of the rooves 15. T e barsare secured in place t ereon by strips 31 of insulating material notchedor grooved as indicated and fastened over the bars upon members 19 by,Iscrews 32. Bars 30 are shown as having their ends 33 twisted a quarterturn to facilitate their electrical connection. The grooves 18 aredesigned to receive `short bus bars 35 each secured at one end to and isscrewed into a cap 38 having perfo- 'bar 40 which is of suiiicientlength to -span r either groupof bus bars 30.4 The bar '40 is preferablycircular in section and carries a slidable contact member 41'and also aninsulatingshield 42. This contact member`- consists of a short sleeve'45slotted to receive the bar and provided .with .a set screw 46 havingpreferably an insulatin head thereon, whereby the sleeve may be ed in estion .longitudinally of the bar 40, sleeve also carries spring fingers47 adapted to enter one of the grooves 15 and contact with the bus bar30 therein. Slots\15a being provided for this purpose. The shield 4 2consists of two side strips 50 of insulating .material secured to twoend abl mounted on' the bar 40.

lzhis arrangement of .bar 40 and its contact member 41 andshield-42permits its use upon any bus bar 30 of either group. In Fi 2athe underside of two. of the units 10 1s shown indicating how severalofthe meter circuits may be connected together and to one of the bars 30as by securing al connecting bar 356 to the undersides-of the fusesockets or the screws 36.

In the form of device shown in Fig. 3, the

base portionv 10 with the bus bars 30 and 35 and fusesockets similarlymounted therein except that instead of screws 37 passing u into caps 38,screws pass through the en u of bars 35 and into threaded sleeves 61fitthef block 10a on its central line. l These sleeves 61 at their upperends have soldered or otherwise securedto them, insulated cables 63 withthe insulation extending into passa es 62.

- ach cablef63 is long enough to reach to the outermost bar30 andterminates in a plug 64 of insulating material having spring contactfingers 65 passing therethrough and connected to the conductor in thecable.

These fingers 65, like fingers 47, are adaptedto enter grooves 15 tocontact with the bars30.

In this form ofthedevice the free ends of plugs 64 on the cables areheld in place by means of the wire' guards shown at' 70 in Figs. 3 and5. These guards 70 consist as shownof loops of wire hinged at one end,as at 71, to the fuse socket containing portion of the block and securedat the other end by releasable means 72 such as a screw or rotatablecatch bolt. The loops are of suiiicient width to pass the cable 63 butnot the plug e 64 so that, when the plug is in contact po- 00 sition,the loops lock it in place. Likewise,

when it is not desired to make a contact, the

plug may be laid on its side as shown at 64a,

Fig. 3, and the loop retains it in this position. Y 65 It is proposed touse in this formof the base portion 10a vmay be the'same as theV tinginto the passages 62 passing up through` device, differenti coloredcables 63 with cor- Aondingly co ored'markers on the fuse soc ets sothat the articular socket to which a cable is attache may readily bedeter- Ymined.` Likewise in the form shown in Fig.

1, similarl colored markersmay be placed on the soc ets and on thehinged members. Thev preferred method of using the metermg panels madeup of the unitsl described conslsts in mounting several ,of the unitswith 75 common bus bars 30 as above described. The bus bars 30 are thenconnectedn to meters in the usual manner and the leads from the' .fuseshells vto the loads in suitable fashion.

Each fuse' then represents a single loadline 90 4 ating therewith areshown at 30 and the Ypower lines are shown as leading in the upp'erpartand protected by the fusing device which are preferably of the form de-Y95 scribed and claimed in the -revfious application Ser. No. 175,173,iled arch 14, 1927.

v The return connectionis shown at 101 and is preferably located in thecentral portion place, and protected against accidental touching bymeans of a cover piece 102. The

exposed ends ofthe power lines may likej wise be protected as by cover103 hinged at the top of the cabinet as at 103a. The ends 105 of bars 30may likewisebe protected by a suitable cover 104.

By this means, any load line may he easil and quickly transferred to anymeter or alii or any oup be put on any meter without any rewiringwhatever, all that is necessary is to move a plug 64 or a contact member41 tomake contact withthe bar 30 connected to the particularmeter.

While only one group of the blocks 10 with 11E six meter bus bars hasbeen shown it is of course obvious that two or more groups mayA be usedand any number of bars provided for. It is also obvious that a lessnumber of bars than six may be used in a single group and thesevarrangements are in contemplation.V i

VPanels may also be made up using the,l present type of device andadapted for double fusing, all of which will be obvious to those skilledin the art.

Now, having described the invention and the preferred forms ofembodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the said invention visto `be limited not to the specific details own guard, so that it may notbe disconnected l from the second named conductors without herein setforth, but only by the scope of the claim which follows.

A metering panel section including a base having on its under surfaceparallel conductors extending transversely of the base and having on itsupper surface a plurality of conductors extending longitudinally of thebase, a plurality of posts extending upwardly from and individuallyconnected to said first named conductors in a ertures passing Y throu hsaid base, a (plurallty of transversely exten ing closely a acentmovable connectors constructed to be of variable extent transversely ofthe base and including contact means adapted to be contactingly engagedwith any one of the second named conductors, as desired, and a pluralityof closely adjacent individual ard members for and interlocked withindlvidual ones of the connectors, all of the members being disposedabove and movabl mounted on the base so as to be movable in ependentlyof one another and of the connectors associated therewith, eachconnector being interlocked with its previousl moving away the guardmember associate therewith, the. guard members, when in position toprevent disconnection of their connectors, serving to guard the contactmeans of the latter from parts moving above the base.

HARRISON J L. FRANK.

